The Energy Ministry has told Citi News, there are no explanations yet as to why expensive luxury vehicles were purchased for rural electrification project, according to an Auditor General’s report.
[contextly_sidebar id=”AT2NJGG15eim6t3tUGT81bFfY3Jbl9Ps”]According to an audit report presented to Parliament, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum spent $1,745, 159 on 38 luxurious vehicles, including Ford F150 truck, Lexus LX570, Chrysler 300, Dodge Dakota SLT, and Grido Ford 5150.
The amount according to the report was meant to extend electricity to about 1,200 communities in the country under the Multi-Donor Budgetary Support Programme between 2010 and 2012.
Reacting to the development on the Citi Breakfast Show, Edward Bawa, Communications Director at the Energy Ministry said “I’m unable to give details about the rationale behind some of the vehicles on the list. It was signed in 2007.”
“These were projects that were negotiated, approved and ordered. The little we could do as a country was to just take delivery,” he added.
According to Edward Bawa, as part of the agreement at least 85% of the equipment were to be purchased from the US, which meant that the vehicles to be used for field work for the project also had to be imported from the US.
He noted however that Cabinet approved the deal in 2007 and Parliament approved it in 2008.
The equipment and vehicles were subsequently delivered in 2010.
The report further stated that, “The Director of power explained the acquisition of the vehicles and office equipment was for capacity building to enhance the service delivery of the Ministry.”
Asked whether it was a regular practice to secure vehicles for an electrification project, Bawa said “it is a normal standard practice. This has always been the case since the late 90’s.”
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By: Nana Boakye Yiadom/citifmonline.com/Ghana